Sages
Xander Time Position: Head of the Council of Sages Title: Lord of Time, Firstborn, Eldest, Lord of the Sages, Crimson One Not much is known about the life of the first Sage before he was given the gem of time and charged with keeping the timestream in order. Because of his control over time Xander has an odd detachment from reality, as he exists in all times simultaneously. Since time itself is a creation of mankind, his power is at once both greater and weaker than the rest of the Council. Since he is not linked to any of the five known gods, he is both respected and feared, since the origin of his gem as well as his powers are known only to him. After presiding over the meeting that limited the interactions of most of the Sages with the mortal races Xander mysteriously disappeared. It is unknown when or if the master of time will return. Catherine Life Position: Second of the Council, Acting Head (with Garrath) Title: Lady of Life, Lady of Light, She of Mercy, Maia’s Daughter Catherine is one of the oldest of the council, second only to Xander in age. The mortal races see her as the daughter of the goddess of mercy herself, and the people of Neloni worship her as such. Before she was selected as a Sage she was a queen of an ancient kingdom and still bears a royal air about her, with even her co-head of the Council, Garrath, and Xander himself referring to her as ‘milady.’ Garrath Death Position: Second of the Council, Acting Head (with Catherine) Title: Lord of Death, Lord of Decay, Dark One, Master of the Unliving Garrath is the soft-spoken husband of Catherine, and the lord of the powers of darkness. His alignment is often confusing to the mortal races, as they can’t comprehend anything beyond a simple understanding of good and evil. Garrath himself is a master manipulator, often outwitting his opponents before the battle has even begun. He sees himself as Catherine’s equal in the Council, but in terms of their respective elements he views death and darkness as superior to life and light, as in the end all being, no matter how strong, will die. This fatalistic view often puts him at odds with the other members, but their respect for his mind as well as his devotion to the gods outweigh any misgivings they may have about him. Tarane Space Position: Messenger of the Sages Title: She of the Void, Voidwalker, The Hidden Sage, The Messenger The beautiful lady of the Aether is rarely seen by most mortal races. She steps in and out of reality into the void and uses it to pass from location to location nearly instantaneously. Her control over the fabric of space is so complete that she could will anyone or anything to anywhere she wanted. Before becoming a Sage, Tarane was a competent warrior woman from the empire of Rynal, and now that she had command over aspects of reality itself she is viewed as a combatant without peer. As her powers are not linked to any of the five gods, she often finds herself feeling outside the Council. Xander has taken a fatherly interest in her, and many believe he is the only member of the Council she is truly loyal to. Umeko Earth Position: Champion of Antham Title: She of the Wood, Earthmother, Eternal Druid Once a priestess of Maia in the island nation of Kasei, Umeko grew up in a temple surrounded by beautiful hanging gardens of all forms of wildflowers. While searching for a new Sage of nature, Catherine became so overwhelmed by the beauty of the gardens she demanded to speak to their keeper. She was introduced to Umeko, who quickly knelt before the Sage of life, as she was worshiped as the daughter of Maia. Catherine told her to stand and that she would never kneel before her again, staying instead she would stand beside her as an equal and a Sage, and from that moment on Umeko has been fiercely loyal to Catherine and the Council. Jace Fire Position: Champion of Dyanastos Title: He of the Flame, Firebringer, Flamecaster, Eternal Master The Sage of fire has always been the champion of the god Dyanastos and the true head of his church. Jace, once from Azren, was a powerful monk and scholar of the world. When the Sage of fire, Dianne, was slain in battle, Garrath came to the Great Monastery and asked the Grandmaster to see the best student. Jace was summoned and before he could greet his visitor he was presented with the gem of fire and told he was now a Sage. He now uses his immortality to travel the globe and learn from all scholars and warriors, hoping to find true balance between mind and body. Markou Ice Position: Champion of Kian Title: He of Ice, Cold One, The Snowbringer, Winter Lord, Eternal Keeper The stoic and some would say emotionless Sage of ice is one of the youngest members of the council. After his predecessor was slain in battle with the rogue dragon Niros, Markou was found after he successfully assassinated the baron of a stretch of land who was communicating with the Fiends. Markou takes joy in very little, even his service to Kian, and he only seems to be at his closest to happiness when he is around Lysana, the Sage of water. Altaer Thunder Position: Champion of Uren Title: He of Thunder, Son of the Sky, Nature’s Wrath, Eternal Mage The most outspoken and public of all of the Sages is Altaer, the Sage of thunder. Even though he is restricted in how he can act, he still advises and speaks with the leaders of men on a regular basis. He is the only remaining church founder, and as such still takes an active role in the leadership of the Academy. He and his twin, Zephyrus, are the oldest members of the Council, with the exception of Xander. Both have denied leadership roles many times, feeling that they can do more good working directly with humanity, no matter how limited their roles may be. Zephyrus Air Position: Scribe of the Sages Title: He of the Winds, Lord of Storms, The Scribe, The Ancient One, The Wisest Though Zephyrus is Altaer’s twin, the two could not be farther apart. The frail-looking Zephyrus acts as the scribe and historian of the Council, using his mind and immortality to his advantage to catalogue the various things he has seen in his centuries of life, leaving the public speaking and physical fighting to his brother. He is like Altaer though in that he feels a need to aid humanity, often acting as a historical consultant and aid to the leaders of the Alliance. Rook Stone Position: Protector of the Gateway Title: He of Rock, Immovable One, The Tower Deep in the Nerevi Mountains there is a large stone archway, through which is the portal to the hidden realm where the Council holds court. Protecting this gateway is a massive man with total control over the stone itself, and his name is Rook. Rook was once the only member of a church to Uren in Achea to survive a massive raid. As he was about to succumb to his wounds Xander stepped forward and healed him. Rook thanked the Sage profusely, and asked how he could repay the kindness showed to him. Xander simply handed the gem of stone to him and said ‘protect what is ours’ and took him to the Gateway to stand guard over the powers of creation. So dedicated is he to his duties that Rook rarely leaves his post, only venturing out every few years to travel and see how civilization is changing, and only when another Sage is available to stand guard. Lysana Water Position: Champion of Maia Title: She of the Waves, Tidecaller, Lady of the Lake, Eternal Priestess Lysana is the true head of the Temple of Mercy, but as the High Priestess and her husband, the King of Neloni, have become so powerful in their own right, they have ceased to head her words. Forbidden as she is to take too much control of the affairs of mortals, Lysana has become withdrawn as she watches her goddess’ church spiral away from its intended ends. Lysana has taken to spending a great deal of time with Markou, whom she feels understands her. Darius Mind Position: Not Affiliated with the Council Title: The Mentalist, The Morning Star Psionics have long been regarded by the churches as witches. Magic users who can bend reality to their will utilizing the power of their mind alone, these rare people are seen as godless, and therefore soulless. Xander, during his travels, found a gem of power unlike any he had seen before. He kept it with him, attempting to decipher its power, until one day he felt it grow warm in his robe. Knowing that a suitable wielder of the gem was nearby, Xander reached out with the power of the gem and located Darius, a man about to be executed for witchcraft. Using his powers to save the man, Xander granted him the gem and a seat on the Council. To his surprise, however, Darius did not accept the seat, stating that the servants of the gods were no friends of his. As such he vowed to serve Xander alone, and to this day his existence remains unknown to the Council members, with the exception of Tarane.